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Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People

Statement by Australia
17 September 2014

Australia thanks Mr James Anaya, the former Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, for his work in that role. We welcome the appointment of Ms Victoria Tauli Corpuz and look forward to working collaboratively with her in the future.

Australia welcomes the work of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), including their study on access to justice to which Australia contributed.

Australia has introduced the Indigenous Advancement Strategy to achieve real results in the key priority areas of getting children to school, adults into work, and building safer communities.

The Indigenous Advancement Strategy – Safety and Wellbeing Programme ensures that the ordinary law of the land applies in Indigenous communities, and that Indigenous people enjoy similar levels of physical, emotional and social wellbeing enjoyed by other Australians. It supports strategies known to enhance community safety, including the prevention of family violence, combatting alcohol and other substance misuse, reducing offending and supporting victims of crime.

The new approach provides greater flexibility and strengthens local Indigenous leadership ensuring Indigenous people have a greater say about how government services are delivered in their regions.

Australia believes Indigenous Australians are key partners in managing Australia’s natural and cultural resources and extractive industries. We acknowledge the experiences, perspectives and cultures of Indigenous Australians and support their aspirations to maintain, protect and manage their culture, language, land and sea country and heritage.